In the past year or so, podcasts have been all over the Internet. I've found podcasts about everything from the newest tech gadgets to how to grow plants. With millions of podcast listeners and lots of new listeners every day, now is a great time to start your own podcast and make money in the process.
Podcasts so far sound a lot like Internet Talk Radio Shows, don't they? Even though the two have a lot in common, they are also quite different in many ways. Podcasts are not at all like Internet Talk Radio shows in how they are put together. A podcast has a very casual tone. Most podcasts are on blogs, and you can use RSS to automatically download them to your mp3 player. Podcasts also don't always have guests. Most of the talking in podcasts is done by the person who is in charge. Podcasts can be shorter or the same length as a talk radio show, and the length of each show can be different.
You will need both hardware and software to make a podcast that sounds good. Most podcasts are sent out as mp3s, so you need some kind of software and a good microphone to record your show. There are some great microphones for sale from Plantronics. You can use software like Allrecorder or a full service like Audio Acrobat that will also host your audio files for you. If you use a service like AudioAcrobat to host your files, people who listen to and download your podcast won't use up all of your bandwidth. This could help you save a lot of money on hosting costs. You also don't have to worry about fixing problems when audio files don't work.
Let's talk about how you can start making money from your podcast. Paid ads and affiliate programmes will be your two main ways to make money. You can sell 30 to 60-second ads on your podcast, as well as ads on your site that link to the podcast's audio file. As far as affiliate marketing goes, you can promote related products on your website and talk about them on your show. If someone listens to what you say and buys the product through your link, you will get a commission.
Sponsorship is a newer way for podcasts to make money that is starting to become more common. Companies will pay a lot of money to be the main sponsor of your podcast on your website and in the podcast itself. Once you have some people listening to your podcast and start getting some attention, it should be easy to find a corporate sponsor. In the meantime, you could contact a few small businesses in your target market that might be interested in sponsoring your podcast for a few months.
Now, sit down, get a pen and paper, and think of a great topic you can talk about for hours. Write down some ideas and then start to record. Before you know it, you'll have made your first podcast.
